Toilet Flange Problem

[jeffzy]

I have gutted a powder room and I am nearing completion. The project began because the subfloor rotted due to a leaky toilet. Well, I am ready to put in the new toilet, a Champion 4, and the cast iron flange is below the tile, not level and has some build up on it, not too much just a little. The powder room is above a crawl space and the flange is not secured to the subfloor. A contractor replaced the subfloor and did not run it up under the flange. The flange is almost level with the tile in the front but slopes towards the back and ends about 3/8 below the tile. My questions are:

1. Should I try to create a brace out of wood under the flange from crawlspace and screw the flange into that to secure it?

2. Can I use a Fluidmaster Reinforced Toilet Wax Extender Kit No. 35B to solve the below tile un-level issue.

3. How to clean up any buildup, in and out. I assume just use a wire brush.

My biggest concern is that the flange is unlevel.

FYI- After reading through this forum. I am seriously considering returning the Champion 4 and getting a Toto Drake.

 

[robo_geek]

Having installed a couple of toilets in my day.....

When in doubt, install a standard cast-iron or adjustable closet-flange riser. You can get away with being a little crooked, but being too short is never good. (there's some sort of a joke there).

The bigger concern would be that the flange were not secured to the floor, because the weight of a person can exert some very high forces to that flange, and movement could break something or cause a leak, or both.

It's funny that many plumbers I've worked with installing a toilet really don't clean up the flange much at all, while most DIYers tend to make everything so perfect like it's a Porsche head gasket or the airlock on a space station.....

The champion is just fine, IMHO. One one of those I had to use some silicone sealer where the tank-to-bowl screws go thru, because it would leak there.

The instructions say that you're not supposed to spin the screws, or you'll mess up the gromits. You're not supposed to do it, but I would caulk up those thru-bolts and gaskets with some aquarium sealer or RTV to be safe. Don't over-tighten those screws.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Jadnashua]

Mucking around in a crawlspace is not fun. Your plumber didn't do you any service by leaving the flange like that, nor did the carpenters. I'd consider going under there, cutting off the pipe where convenient (I say that as a relative point!), and being careful screw a wood plate made up of a couple layers of play (3/4" each) up to the under side of the floor (you'll have to be very careful to get the screw length right to not go up and crack your tile - I'd also use some construction adhesive). Then using a no-hub adapter, put it back together with pvc (or abs if that's what's available where you live). The ply would give you something to screw the new flange to. You could also probably make a ring out of plywood to fill in and then have the flange sit, fully supported, a the proper level.

This is probably overkill, but would give you a flange at the proper height that is well supported. If it was just low, I would just add extenders or double-up on wax rings, but since it is not level AND is recessed AND isn't attached to anything...I think it deserves more work.

If you ever remodel again...more planning will help.

 

[Gary Swart]

What Jim said plus I'd sure suggest you rethink the American Standard. There have been so many plumbers on this forum that have reported quality issues it just doesn't make sense to use one. The Toto Drake would be an excellent toilet. Remember, a toilet is an appliance that is used everyday by every member of the household and is expected to last for many years with little more that an occasional flapper and fill valve replacement. Good and faithful service over 30 years or more makes a few initial dollars more for a clogger doesn't make much sense.